Sony Music Australia has invested in Cooking Vinyl Australia, the two companies have announced. As well as investing money into the indie label, the major will now exclusively distribute its recordings through its Orchard label services company.

Sony Music’s CEO for Australia & New Zealand Denis Handlin says: “Cooking Vinyl Australia is an incredibly talented team and we are delighted to be starting 2018 with this dynamic partnership. This venture will further expand Sony Music’s diverse roster of local and international artists and releases and we are looking forward to an exciting future”.

Leigh Gruppetta, co-MD of Cooking Vinyl Australia, adds: “We are THRILLED about what the future holds as we enter this next phase of the business. The opportunity to further grow and develop the careers of our artists and partner labels has just received a massive shot in the arm. The faith shown in us by Denis and his team is humbling”.

The music division of Chinese web giant Tencent – which is both a music distributor and a streaming service operator – has announced a new alliance with Sony Music which will see the creation of a new dance music focused record label to be called Liquid State.

At launch, the new label’s roster includes Chinese DJ Lizzy and Korean duo Junkilla, while Chinese American artist Zhu – who is signed to Sony’s Columbia label – will also release music via the entity in China.

Tencent already has distribution partnerships in place with various Western record companies, including Sony Music, though this is the first time the firm has set up a joint venture label of this kind to sign new artists.

Tencent Music boss Cussion Pang says: “With the formation of Liquid State, our goal is to create an unmatched culture exchange between the East and the West through the power of electronic dance music”.

Later this year, Tencent is expected to spin off its music company into a separate business via an initial public offering.

Republic Records President Charlie Walk has been placed on leave by Universal Music and will not appear on the finale of TV singing competition ‘The Four’, as a further accusation of sexual harassment comes to light.

The initial allegation against Walk was made by former Sony/Columbia marketing exec Tristan Coopersmith earlier this week, relating to incidents that allegedly occurred when Walk worked at Sony Music. Two more women then spoke to Bob Lefsetz, at least one of whom had worked for the exec more recently at Universal’s Republic division. Now more women have come forward describing their experiences with him.

Walk initially issued a statement saying that Coopersmith’s claims were “untrue”. However, in an email to Deadline, the latest woman to come forward says: “I cannot believe Charlie’s claims that this story is false, when I worked for him at Republic … to many of the same patterns. I was not planning to share mine, but if it helps clear Tristan’s name (who I’ve never met) then I’m in”.

She goes on to say that Walk made inappropriate comments while she worked with him at Republic. After being made redundant, she says that he sent her explicit photos of himself on Snapchat and invited her to join him at a hotel.

“I didn’t work there anymore, which doesn’t make it OK”, she says. “But it does corroborate [Coopersmith’s] story. Yes, he is a person who does these things. At the same time I was so upset. Is this why I got laid off? Did I get laid off so you could ask me to sleep with you? That’s how I felt. It’s a very shitty feeling”.

Meanwhile, a former Republic intern, Alexandra Valenti, has written on Facebook about the culture fostered by Walk at the company. She wrote that one of the executive’s subordinates made working their unpleasant, at times threatening to stop her career from progressing. She felt unable to complain because she suspected his actions were sanctioned by Walk.

“I went to work every single morning sick to my stomach and terrified”, she writes. “I listened to that corner of the office objectify and ridicule women on a daily basis. I left that internship wanting to give up on my dreams of working in the industry”.

Universal previously said that it would “review” Coopersmith’s accusations, despite the alleged incidents not having taken place while Walk worked at the company. Yesterday, the major label announced that Walk “has been placed on leave, and will remain on leave for the duration of the investigation”.

The company has asked all Republic employees with information on harassment by Walk or any other member of staff to speak to the independent law firm conducting the investigation.

Walk is also a judge on US TV singing competition ‘The Four’, which is currently airing its first series on the Fox network. He will now not appear on the finale episode, due to be broadcast next week.

In a statement to Fader, Walk says: “I do not want my presence to be a distraction. Needless to say this is very upsetting. Although I continue to support the ‘me too’ movement, there has been an extreme rush to judgment against me in this particular case, which is unfair and inconsistent with anything that even actually happened. I welcome any investigation so that in short order these unfounded and hurtful accusations can be put to rest”.

Universal Music has said that it will conduct “a full and complete review” into allegations of sexual misconduct made against Charlie Walk, the President of its US-based label Republic Records.

The allegations were made by former Director Of Millennial Research & Marketing at Sony’s Columbia label, Tristan Coopersmith.

Writing on the website for the life coaching company she now runs, she wrote about the excitement she felt in 2004 after being headhunted by Walk – who was then EVP Of Creative Marketing And Promotion at the Sony division. However, she says, as well as providing her with “opportunities beyond my wildest imagination”, he “also made me feel sick to my stomach almost every day”.

“For a year I shuddered at the idea of being called into your office”, she writes, speaking directly to Walk in the letter. “You would stealthily close the door and make lewd comments about my body and share your fantasies of having sex with me. I was 27. No previous experience had taught me what to do in such a situation. So I laughed it off, gently reminded you that you were married with children, and tried to change the subject. But you were relentless. You would instant message me throughout the day making sexual remarks. Truly vulgar words and ideas. Pervasively”.

She goes on to say that she was often invited to dinners, where Walk would put his hand on her thigh and whisper sexual comments to her. On some occasions, she says, while his wife was also at the table.

Coopersmith goes on to allege that, on one occasion, at an event at Walk’s home, he “cornered me and pushed me into [his] bedroom and onto [his] bed” while his wife was in the next room. “You being drunk and me being six inches taller was my saving grace”, she writes.

After a year, she says that she worked up the courage to tell another Columbia exec about Walk’s actions. However, rather that repercussions for him, it triggered her exit from the company.

“He wasn’t surprised”, writes Coopersmith of her conversation with the other unnamed exec. “He told me that there was nothing I could do about it, but that he would help me co-ordinate a graceful exit if I wanted. I was paid to keep my mouth shut and my reputation intact. I’m ashamed of that piece but it’s a truthful part of my story. I took that dirty money and moved to LA”.

After this, Coopersmith worked as an Executive Director at talent agency CAA. However, she goes on, she feels that her success in the music industry was in part reliant upon keeping quiet about her experience of sexual harassment. Over time, she “saw there were so many Charlie Walks” and eventually decided to leave the industry altogether.

Walk, meanwhile, went on to become President of Sony’s Epic Records from 2005 to 2009. He joined Universal’s Republic Records Group in 2013, becoming its President in 2016. He is also a judge on new US TV singing competition ‘The Four: Battle For Stardom’, alongside Sean Combs, DJ Khaled and Meghan Trainor.

In a statement to Entertainment Tonight, Walk denied the allegations made against him, saying: “It is very upsetting to learn of this untrue allegation made by someone who worked with me fifteen years ago, without incident”.

He went on: “There has never been a single HR claim against me at any time during my 25+ year career, spanning three major companies. I have consistently been a supporter of the women’s movement and this is the first time I have ever heard of this or any other allegation – and it is false”.

While Sony Music has offered no comment, Universal said that it would investigate despite the alleged incidents taking place before Walk joined the company: “While it appears this blog post relates to the period prior to Mr Walk’s appointment to his position at Republic Records, we take the allegations very seriously and intend to conduct a full and complete review of this matter”.

Fox, which broadcasts ‘The Four’, said in its own statement: “We have only recently learned of these past allegations regarding Mr Walk. We are currently reviewing this matter and are committed to fostering a safe environment on all of our shows”.

As a result of the #MeToo movement, an increasing number of women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault against men in the music industry, including several major label execs. In December, Warner Music in the US launched an investigation, following claims of misconduct by two senior members of staff. Meanwhile, a Warner exec in Sweden was fired earlier the same month. Prior to #MeToo, in May last year, Epic Records President LA Reid departed the company suddenly, seemingly following a harassment allegation.

Sony has expanded its partnership with Cuban music company EGREM. The Sony Music record company has had an alliance with the Havana-based entity since 2015, and now the Sony/ATV music publishing business has announced an international licensing deal to cover EGREM’s songs catalogue.

Confirming the new alliance, EGREM’s MD Mario Ángel Escalona Serrano said: “The oldest record company in Cuba is honoured to share the opportunity to develop the joint licensing of our great [songs] catalogue with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. This relationship will expand the promotion and international dissemination of our musical heritage, as well as raise awareness of relevant Cuban authors and composers”.

Meanwhile Sony/ATV’s President of International, Guy Henderson, added: “It is a great pleasure and privilege for Sony/ATV to represent such a prestigious catalogue. Music is the lifeblood of the Cuban people and as such has produced so many talented artists and songwriters over several decades. Sony/ATV will now be in a position to take these writers and their music to the world, exposing the sounds of Cuba to new markets and providing fresh opportunities to EGREM and its quality roster of songwriters”.

• Universal Music Canada has promoted Kristen Burke to Executive Vice President and General Manager. She was previously Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Kristen is the coach and mentor that our artists want in their corner”, says CEO Jeffrey Remedios.

• Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Lewis has joined Sony’s Epic Records in the US as Executive Vice President of A&R, moving over from Universal’s Motown label. “I am excited”, says Lewis.

• Napster, which is still a thing, has named Venesa Hoffmann as its new VP Business Development & Operations for EMEA. “I’m THRILLED to join Napster at such an exciting time in the company’s history”, says Hoffmann.

• Apple’s HomePod speaker will finally go on sale in the UK, US and Australia on 9 Feb. Unless it doesn’t. But it looks like it will.

• Christian O’Connell has announced he is standing down as breakfast show host on Absolute Radio after twelve years with the station. Radio Today reckons he might be heading for a new radio gig in Australia.

• Lil Wayne has released new track ‘Big Bad Wolf’, taken from newly completed mixtape ‘Dedication 6 Reloaded’. No release date has been announced for said mixtape, the follow-up to ‘Dedication6’, released at Christmas.

• A$AP Rocky has released new track ‘Five Stars’, the first from an as-yet-unannounced new project.

• Fever Ray has released the video for ‘Wanna Sip’, from her 2017 album ‘Plunge’. The album will be available on physical formats from 23 Feb. She also has two UK live shows in London and Manchester coming up in March.

• Unknown Mortal Orchestra have released new single ‘American Guilt’. They’ve also confirmed that they will play four UK shows in May, kicking off at the Roundhouse in London on 24 May.

• Sleigh Bells have released the video for ‘Favourite Transgressions’, taken from their 2017 EP ‘Kid Kruschev’.

• Indoor Pets (fka Get Inuit) have released new single ‘So Soon’. “I wanted to just write a love song, and ignore the voices in my head that say that all signs of positivity need to be taken with a pinch of salt”, says frontman Jamie Glass.

• Britney Spears is set to play five UK concerts in August, performing her Las Vegas residency show ‘Britney: Piece Of Me’. The first will be part of Brighton & Hove Pride on 4 Aug, with the tour finishing at the O2 Arena in London on 24 Aug.

• Lil Simz has announced her second ‘Welcome To Wonderland: The Experience’ event at The Roundhouse in London on 4 Mar. As well as herself, it’ll feature performances from Junglepussy, Iamnobodi, Lioness, Ezra Collective, Tawiah, VanJess, Cleo Sol, OTG, McKay Felt, Corey Wash, DJ Mille and more.

• Jonny Greenwood has got himself an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score for his soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Phantom Thread’.

• Still with the Oscars, among the nominees for Best Original Song are Mary J Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson for ‘Mighty River’ from ‘Mudbound’, Sufjan Stevens for ‘Mystery Of Love’ from ‘Call Me By Your Name’, plus Common and Diane Warren for ‘Stand Up For Something’ from ‘Marshall’.

Childish Gambino is allying with Sony Music for his next record, which will be put out by the major’s RCA US division via a partnership with the actor/rapper’s LA-based management firm Wolf & Rothstein.

The deal sees Gambino – aka Donald Glover – shift over to Sony from Glassnote, which released his previous three albums, backed up by Universal Music distribution.

The Rothstein of Wolf & Rothstein said that they were attracted to Sony because the major was willing to enter into more of a partnership with the management firm. According to Variety, Fam Rothstein noted “being malleable is important to us, and that’s what this partnership allows”.

Meanwhile RCA CEO Peter Edge says: “Donald is undoubtedly one of the most talented, multi-faceted, young entertainers of this era. We are excited to join forces with him and Wolf & Rothstein to usher in the next phase of Childish Gambino’s musical career”.

• Patrick Mushatsi-Kareba has been named CEO of Sony Music in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. “He is a charismatic and innovative leader with a strong background in both A&R and digital business”, says Daniel Lieberberg, also in a new senior position at Sony.

• Gwenno has released the video for ‘Tir Ha Mor’, the first single from her Cornish language album ‘Le Kov’, which is out on 2 Mar.

• Juanita Stein has announced that she will release an acoustic EP featuring songs from her ‘America’ album on 16 Feb. From it, this is ‘I’ll Cry’.

CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including Radiohead’s lawsuit (or not) against Lana Del Rey, Sony’s settlement with some American Idols, and Jimmy Iovine’s long term plans at Apple Music. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.

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• Caroline International’s Kevin McCabe has left the Universal division to set up his own radio and TV promotions company, Kevin McCabe Promotions. Clients at launch include Kylie Minogue, Gaz Coombes and Franz Ferninand.

• US music rights set up Reservoir has promoted Rell Lafargue to President of the company. He will continue to work as Chief Operating Officer, a position he’s held since 2008. “It has been a remarkable year”, says Lafargue, getting ahead of himself.

• Former Universal Music exec Daniel Lieberberg has been named Sony Music’s new president for Continental Europe and Africa. “Daniel is one of the most outstanding creative and futuristic executives in Europe”, says Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer. Futuristic!

• Marshmello has released his collaboration with the late Lil Peep, ‘Spotlight’. “Peep brought an excitement to music that was unparalleled to anybody I’ve ever met”, says the producer. “We started an idea together, that unfortunately we were never able to officially finish together. When I listen to this track now I get chills wishing he could hear it”.

• Dua Lipa has released the video for ‘IDGAF’ from her debut album.

• After several years of trying to break free of their previous record deal, The Radio Dept have now released their first single on their own Just So label, ‘Your True Name’.

• EMA has released new single ‘Dark Shadows’, taken from new EP ‘Outtakes From Exile’, due out on 2 Feb.

• Cosmo Sheldrake has released new single, ‘Egg And Soldiers’. His debut album, ‘The Much Much How How And I’ is out on 6 Apr.

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http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/cmu-digest-12-01-18-agent-of-change-facebook-music-modernization-act-lana-del-rey-19-recordings/feed/0Frontiers Music signs up The Orchard for physical distribution in the UKhttp://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/frontiers-music-signs-up-the-orchard-for-physical-distribution-in-the-uk/
http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/frontiers-music-signs-up-the-orchard-for-physical-distribution-in-the-uk/#respondTue, 09 Jan 2018 11:20:10 +0000http://www.completemusicupdate.com/?p=162315

Italian record label Frontiers Music has announced it is extending its partnership with Sony Music’s The Orchard so to include physical distribution in the UK and Ireland.

The rock label previously used Universal’s label services business Caroline for physical distribution in the UK, though already works with The Orchard on digital distribution. Sony also handles the indie’s physical distribution in North America and Australia, originally via its Red business, which merged with sister company The Orchard last year.

Confirming the expansion of its alliance with The Orchard, Frontiers President Serafino Perugino said yesterday: “After more than ten years in The Orchard family for digital sales and with the expansion of partnership that our label experienced in the North American and Australian markets, it was a natural step to allow The Orchard’s newly established UK physical distribution operations to take care of our physical sales in the local domestic market. This will surely allow better and more detailed marketing for each release and improve the label’s profile in the British markets”.

He added: “We thank Caroline for the efforts done so far and look forward to a fantastic cooperation with The Orchard UK in the years to come”.

Speaking for The Orchard, its UK MD Ian Dutt said: “We are delighted to be extending our business with Frontiers in the UK. They are a label with great heritage and more importantly an amazing forthcoming release schedule. The Frontiers team are a joy to work with and we can’t wait to help them deliver a stellar 2018 and beyond”.

]]>http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/frontiers-music-signs-up-the-orchard-for-physical-distribution-in-the-uk/feed/0Sony settles in dispute over royalties received by some American Idolshttp://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/sony-settles-in-dispute-over-royalties-received-by-some-american-idols/
http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/sony-settles-in-dispute-over-royalties-received-by-some-american-idols/#respondMon, 08 Jan 2018 11:17:53 +0000http://www.completemusicupdate.com/?p=162289

A long-running dispute between Sony Music and a company representing various former ‘American Idol’ winners looks like it’s at an end. The court was told last week that the two sides had reached a settlement.

As previously reported, 19 Recordings, which represented former winners of ‘American Idol’ – its parent company having been behind the talent show franchise – sued its former label partner Sony Music back in 2014.

It was a multi-layered lawsuit that included many common royalty gripes, the overall claim being that Sony was short-changing various ‘Idol’ finalists when it came to sharing the income generated by their recordings.

Most attention fell on those allegations made over streaming income. In part because the lawsuit put the spotlight on the various kickbacks the major record companies have received from their deals with the streaming firms, and whether or not those kickbacks were being shared with artists.

As the lawsuit progressed Sony initially insisted that it wasn’t obliged to share those elements of its steaming deals with talent. Though once streaming kickbacks became a wider talking point in the industry, Sony subsequently said that of course it would be sharing the value of other elements of its digital deals with its artists.

The lawsuit also brought up the sales v licence debate that had previously been in the US courts in relation to downloads. Pre-digital record contracts obviously don’t set a specific download or streaming royalty rate, but they do often distinguish between ‘sales income’ and ‘licence income’, with a much higher royalty often paid on the latter.

Licensing income traditionally meant things like sync, but many artists have pointed out that digital income stems from licensing deals rather than the selling of product. Nevertheless, labels have mainly paid the lower sales royalty (or thereabouts) on digital income, despite Eminem collaborators the Bass Brothers winning when they sued Universal Music on the sales v licence point.

The 19 v Sony case not only brought the sales v licence dispute back to court, but it did so specifically with streaming in mind, where arguably there is an even stronger argument that this is licensing income and therefore the higher royalty should be paid.

However, it seems, we won’t get any judicial insight on that point now, because – according to The Hollywood Reporter – the whole matter has been settled. More or less. Last week judge Ronnie Abrams discontinued the proceedings after being told an out-of-court settlement was now pending.

CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from over the Christmas break, including Wixen Music Publishing’s $1.6 billion lawsuit against Spotify, Universal’s new deals with YouTube and Facebook, plus stats on what UK music consumers were streaming and buying in 2017. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.

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Could YouTube start 2018 without its ‘enemy number one’ status in the music community? Maybe. The Google company has inked a new long-term agreement with both Universal Music and Sony Music, according to Bloomberg.

Universal has confirmed its new deal, which it’s thought includes new commitments from YouTube to further enhance the Content ID rights management system and a basic agreement for the video site to launch its previously reported new subscription music service.

YouTube’s latest commitment to paid-for streaming is likely key to placating the record companies – in the short term at least – they being long annoyed that the video site pays much less into the music industry than Spotify and Apple. The labels generally like paid-for streaming much more than free streaming, seeing the latter as – at best – an upsell platform, and at worst a necessary evil that has to exist to try and stop people using piracy sites.

The video platform’s original plan to move into paid-for music streaming in 2015 was abandoned in favour of the video site’s wider subscription product, the somewhat lacklustre YouTube Red. But it’s rumoured YouTube will now launch a standalone music subscription service in the spring, somehow integrated with the Google Play Music streaming set-up, which operates more in line with the Spotifys of this world.

Either way, Universal Music boss Lucian Grainge said of the new deal yesterday: “This important step forward provides our recording artists and songwriters improved content flexibility and growing compensation from YouTube’s ad-supported and paid-subscription tiers, while also furthering YouTube’s commitment to manage music rights on its platform. I look forward to collaborating with Susan and her team at YouTube on the important work ahead to advance artists’ interests and sustain the music industry’s recent growth”.

The there mentioned Susan is YouTube chief Susan Wojcicki, who is THRILLED about her new deal with the biggest of all the record companies. “We’re THRILLED to strengthen our partnership with Universal Music Group”, said she. “This agreement means we can drive more value to the industry, break and support more artists, and deliver an incredible music experience to fans around the world”.

Yeah, we’ll see about that. Warner Music signed a new deal with YouTube back in May, which is presumably why it was the label said to be already on board for the new standalone music service when that was first mooted earlier this month. Though back in May, Warner Music boss Stephen Cooper was somewhat reserved about the new deal, telling staff in a memo: “We secured the best possible deals under very difficult circumstances. Our new deals are also shorter than usual, giving us more options in the future”.

Various sources, including those talking to Bloomberg, reckon Sony Music has also signed up to a new contract with YouTube, presumably on similar terms to Warner and Universal, although it is yet to formally comment. Deals will also need to be done with the indies, and on the publishing side with the collecting societies, which still control many of the rights YouTube needs to exploit, even though the majors have tended to include the Anglo-American repertoires of their publishing divisions in these talks.

Whether any of this will bring to an end the frequent YouTube dissing in the music community remains to be seen, and likely depends on whether the Google site can actually sign anyone up to its higher-royalty-paying paid-for service.

The music industry’s lobbyists in Europe still hope that the final draft of the European Copyright Directive will limit the extent to which YouTube can use so called safe harbour protection to strengthen its negotiating hand. That could still take some time to be properly worked out. But it might be that – if YouTube’s move into subscription music streaming falters or fails – next time the majors come to renew their deals with the Google company, they’ll feel they are newly empowered by European copyright law to demand more.

Though, if in the short term YouTube’s enemy number one status is put on hold by the powers that be in the music business, perhaps that will allow them to focus their energies on fucking Facebook. That sounds like fun. Plus “fucking Facebook” alliterates. Result!

Sony Music and the Michael Jackson estate have renewed the deal that covers the late pop star’s recorded music, continuing an agreement that has already been in place for 42 years. As well as covering Jackson’s full recordings catalogue, it also gives the option for Sony to partner on new projects with the estate.

“Michael Jackson was an unsurpassed genius and an iconic force in music entertainment”, says Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer. “The music – and videos – he made as an artist as part of the Sony Music family are essential to pop culture history. We’re proud to be part of that history and to find new innovative ways to make Michael’s music available to future generations of fans”.

Jackson estate executors John Branca and John McClain add in unison: “We couldn’t ask for more creative and innovative partners than Sony and Rob Stringer, whose history working personally with Michael goes back to the 1990s. Michael continues to inspire generations of artists who have come after him and attract new fans who understand that his music and message are more important than ever. We look forward to continuing to preserve and develop his remarkable musical legacy with Sony”.

• Sony Music’s prog label InsideOutMusic has announced that it has signed Dream Theater to a new record deal. “We have no doubt that being part of the Sony/InsideOut family will be an amazing creative and professional experience for all of us”, say the band.

• Skepta has released the video for ‘Ghost Ride’, from his recent EP ‘Vicious’.

• Moby. You know Moby, right? Well Moby has a new album coming out on 2 Mar. He just announced it, like yesterday. It’s called ‘Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt’. He’s put out the first track from it too. Here’s ‘Like A Motherless Child’.

• Björk has released the video for ‘Utopia’, the title track of her latest album.

• John Grant has announced new project, Creep Show. A collaboration with former Cabaret Voltaire frontman Stephen Mallinder, they will release their debut album, ‘Mr Dynamite’, on 16 Mar. Here’s a song, ‘Pink Squirrel’.

• Charli XCX has released another new track, ‘Unblock It’, featuring Kim Petras and Jay Park.

• Rolo Tomassi have released new track, ‘Balancing In The Dark’. “This song, almost unintentionally, became one of the most unsettling we’ve ever written”, says the band’s Chris Crayford.

• Marmozets have released new single ‘Major System Error’, taken from their upcoming new album ‘Knowing What You Know Now’. That’s out on 26 Jan.

• MJ Hibbett And The Validators have released a Christmas single, ‘Have A Drink With Us’. The song is an English language cover of German band Bläck Fööss’s 1974 song ‘Drink Doche Eine Met’.

• Charisma.com have announced that they will release a best of compilation in January, which will mark their decision to go on an indefinite hiatus. The release will feature a number of new songs, including this one, ‘Ribbon’.

• Nadine have released new single ‘Not My Kinda Movie’, taken from their debut album, ‘Oh My’, which is due out on 26 Jan.

• Kasabian have announced that they will play a show at Thetford Forest on 10 Jun as part of next year’s Forest Live series of shows. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

• ASCAP has hired Stephanie Ruyle as its new Executive Vice President Of Licensing. She replaces Vincent Candilora, who is retiring.

• Sony’s Columbia UK label has not one but two new Managing Directors. Stacey Tang has been promoted into the role, while Manish Arora has been brought in from Universal’s Polydor.

• The Lovebox and Citadel festivals have announced that they are following Field Day in moving from East London’s Victoria Park to South London’s Brockwell Park.

• Metallica have launched a website for their All Within My Hands Foundation. The charity has also been announced as a recipient of funding from a new initiative from Spotify and Starbucks, which is dishing out $1 million to charitable ventures. Part of that money will also go to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and Chance The Rapper’s Social Works.

• Billy Corgan’s silent film, ‘Pillbox’, is out. “I thought it was a different approach to listening to an album, to watch it in essence with a related, albeit non-linear, silent movie”, he says.

• US Girls, aka Meg Remy, has announced that she will release new album, ‘In A Poem Unlimited’, on 16 Feb. Out now is new single ‘Velvet 4 Sale’, of which she says: “Men are lucky women (and children) have yet to take up arms. And although I hope this never happens, and I completely disagree that violence is ever effective, this very idea was ripe for a song”.

• Juanita Stein has released the video for ‘Black Winds’ from her ‘America’ album. She’ll headline a show at the Shacklewell Arms in London tonight.

• Nightwave has released new track, ‘Limelight’, taken from new EP ‘Sanctuary’, which is out on 2 Feb.

• All Points East has announced that Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds will headline one of the new East London festival’s standalone shows on 3 Jun. Support will come from Patti Smith, St Vincent and Courtney Barnett. I mean, fucking hell, we’ve all got to go to that, haven’t we? Tickets on sale on Friday.

Sony Music in Korea has launched a strategic partnership with local label KQ Entertainment. The deal will see Sony take equity in the company, which counts boyband Block B on its roster.

“We are delighted to partner with KQ Entertainment and [CEO] Sean Kim”, said Denis Handlin, President of Sony Music Entertainment Asia. “Sean and his team have developed an exciting roster of artists who are capturing the admiration of music fans in Korea and abroad. We are very focused on expanding the reach of KQ’s artists and to develop new Korean artists with Sean in the future. These are exciting times, with the Korean market growing strongly and K-Pop artists continuing to build an even larger fan base around the world”.

Kim added: “We believe that this partnership reflects K-Pop’s successful transition into an internationally accepted music genre, and the global competitiveness of KQ Entertainment’s artists. We are excited by this partnership with Sony Music and we very much appreciate Denis Handlin’s great support. This partnership provides us the opportunity to aggressively expand into the overseas market and create unprecedented projects to all the K-Pop fans around the globe”.

• Remy Ma has signed a record deal with Sony’s Columbia label in the US. She released her last album, ‘There’s Something About Remy’, in 2006, and subsequently spent six years in prison for assault.

• Universal Music’s Republic Records in the US has hired Kerri Mackar, most recently with Rolling Stone, to be SVP Of Brand Partnerships. Republic Group President Charlie Walk is “THRILLED” about the appointment.

• The people behind the Just So Festival are partnering with the National Forest Company on a new event called the Timber Festival, which will take place in the National Forest in the Midlands. The festival will bring together “music, art, philosophy and sustainability”. And about time too.

• Having moved to a new site this year, Bestival has announced it will move to a new slot in the calendar in 2018. The festival has traditionally come at the end of the summer festival season, but will now take place from 2-5 Aug.

• Former Warner Music boss man Edgar Bronfman Jr has launched a new venture capital firm focused on media businesses. Called Waverley Capital, the company hopes to raise about $100 million to invest in media start-ups.

• Pharrell is making a film about a group of women being killed one by one during a Halloween warehouse party, thus continuing the theme of misogyny that runs throughout his work.

• Little Mix are going to release a documentary later this month, called ‘Glory Days: The Documentary’. They’ll also re-release last year’s ‘Glory Days’ album at the same time.

• Gorillaz have released a new track, ‘Garage Palace’, featuring Little Simz, taken from the new deluxe vinyl edition of their ‘Humanz’ album

Sony Music’s metal label Music For Nations has announced two new signings, in the form of post-rock band Blanket and metalcore act Bury Tomorrow. Under their deal, Blanket will record their debut album for the label, while Bury Tomorrow are getting to work on their fifth.

“To sign to a label as important and influential as Music For Nations seemed like an unobtainable dream for us”, says Blanket’s Bobby Pook. “This is something that we’ve all wanted since we started playing music. The team at the label share our vision and aspirations of what we want this band to be. We’re putting our all into this record and we are excited to show it to the world”.

Meanwhile Bury Tomorrow’s Daniel Winter-Bates adds: “We are really excited to form a new partnership with Sony and Music For Nations. After ten years as a band, we’ve found a team that are on our page. The enthusiasm, knowledge and direction they’ve shown, made it a no brainer to move forward with this partnership”.

Music For Nations boss Julie Weir says: “It’s an exciting time for MFN – with a powerful chunk of heavy heritage behind us, we are looking to the future with a broad stable of new and talented artists that excite us both as fans and industry. We are looking forward to getting our teeth into the global plans for both Blanket and Bury Tomorrow”.

Dubset, the company whose technology identifies what songs and tracks appear in DJ mixes, with the aim of then licensing each component of each mix so that they can be legitimately distributed via streaming platforms, has announced a deal with Sony Music.

Dubset last year announced alliances with both Spotify and Apple Music, which are keen to carry copyright cleared mixes and remixes on their respective streaming platforms. It has also been liaising with potential label and publisher partners which see the benefit of their tracks and songs featuring in streamed mixes, where royalties have to be shared between various rights owners, but being in the mix can get music to new audiences.

Sony Music is the first major record company to sign up with Dubset. Through the deal, the major will now have access to the tech firm’s MixBANK Rights Management Platform and Cross Clearance Network, via which it can manage any tracks it controls that feature in DJ mixes being distributed by the Dubset company.

“This is a watershed moment for Dubset”, reckons the firm’s CEO Stephen White, who adds that the Sony alliance “demonstrates how critical the MixBANK tool and programs are proving to be with rights holders”.

Adds White: “Hundreds of millions of music fans are streaming DJ and remix content, and labels, publishers, and performance societies need robust solutions for managing the use of their catalogues within this massive category of under-monetised music. We are honoured that Sony Music has selected Dubset to help identify and unlock the value in these uses of their catalogue”.

But what does Sony Music Entertainment SVP Digital Partner Development Andre Stapleton think about the deal? That’s what you want to know isn’t it? Well, people, we are here to tell you just that. “There is a large global audience for DJ sets and remixes”, notes he, “and we think this agreement will benefit premium music subscribers by bringing more of that content into the product mix for electronic and dance fans”.

He adds: “We have worked closely with Dubset on a deal that not only protects our artists, but also provides us with the tools to harness new revenues for them, while amplifying the popularity of the original master recordings at the same time”.

Sony Music’s music distribution business The Orchard has appointed a new director on Sony’s home-turf. Not that it’s Sony Music’s home turf, it’s Sony Music Japan’s home turf, but it’s also Sony Corp’s home turf, and both Sony Music and Sony Music Japan are part of Sony Corp, even if Sony Music Japan isn’t part of Sony Music, unlike The Orchard, which is part of Sony Music, unlike Sony Music Japan. I’m glad I cleared all that up for you.

Ken Seki joins The Orchard in the new role of Director for Japan, and will be charged with the task of “managing relationships with local artists, labels and retailers” in the Japanese market. The appointment is part of the acquisitive music services company’s bid to “expand its global presence and open doors to opportunities in this key Asian market”.

Seki reports into The Orchard’s VP Of Global Business Development, Tom Wheeley, who isn’t just EXCITED about the new hire, he’s BEYOND EXCITED. Whatever that means. Says Wheeley: “We are BEYOND EXCITED to welcome Ken into The Orchard’s growing global family. His diverse and dynamic experience in the Japanese market makes him an ideal candidate to promote The Orchard’s business locally”.

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The boss of digital distribution and label services firm Believe has played down reports that the company is about to be acquired by Sony Music.

As previously reported, those reports originated in Japanese business newspaper Nikkei, which said that Sony was about to take a majority stake in the music distribution company. Sony has been busy growing the distribution side of its business of late, which is now primarily focused around its wholly owned subsidiary The Orchard.

But Believe chief Denis Ladegaillerie told Billboard that any reports that “we have concluded a deal with Sony to sell Believe are absolutely not true”. However, he confirmed that his company has been exploring various new financing options, in part to fund its own acquisition ambitions, and that has included having conversations with both private equity firms and other possible investors, which may or may not include Sony Music.

He added: “In parallel to that process we are having selected strategic discussions with players that have approached us about strategic investments or full acquisition along the way. Our focus is on how do we grow and build the business. In that regard, we are having discussions with a handful of strategic players that understand the changing dynamics in the artist and label services market, share our business philosophy, and where we see a strong strategic fit to better serve artists and labels”.

Ladegaillerie is keeping his options very much open, saying that all serious offers and proposals will be considered by the company’s current shareholders, though he concluded: “Are we now in a short term future, pure sale process? No”.

Sony Music has made strategic investments in independent distribution firms before that ultimately led to it taking full ownership, though usually years later. Indeed, that’s how it came to own The Orchard. Whether Sony will be a strategic investor in Believe’s latest funding round and – if so – quite what stake it will take in the business, remains to be seen.